Survey of the Effects of Operational Noise on Quarry Workers in Akoko-Edo Local Government Area of Edo State

• D. J. Afu

  Department of Mining Engineering, Federal University of Technology Akure, Ondo State, Nigeria.

• E. O. Ifelola

  Department of Mining Engineering, Federal University of Technology Akure, Ondo State, Nigeria

• S. G. Ayodele

  Department of Mineral and Petroleum Resources Engineering, Federal Polytechnic Auchi, Edo State, Nigeria

• A. Ekun

  Department of Mineral and Petroleum Resources Engineering, Federal Polytechnic Auchi, Edo State, Nigeria

• A. Itunu

  Department of Mineral and Petroleum Resources Engineering, Federal Polytechnic Auchi, Edo State, Nigeria

This study employed subjective well structure questionnaires for data collection at three different quarries, namely; The Freedom Group of company, Somak Industry Nigeria Limited and Beez in Akoko Edo Local Government Area of Edo State, Nigeria. 50 questionnaires were distributed to quarry workers for their subjective assessment of the effects of noise on workers without any restrictions. Works at the quarry face and mill processing plants responded quite well. Based on the results obtained from questionnaires analysis using SPSS (Frequency distribution and bar charts), 20% of the workers admitted to a change or deterioration in their hearing ability over time, 48% affirmed that they observe continuous ringing in the ear after work hours, headache after the day's work was a common experience for about 74% of the workers and 24% complained of sleep disorder. In light of these, this study suggested that the effects of noise on the workers would be minimal if the quarry can employ some hearing conservation programs and measures be put in place.

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